The 2015 Popularity Contest (aka UK General Election )

[Walken]

That's fair enough. I'm a social conservative that's why, I don't think the government should be in the business of social work, I think there's far too much of that and I wouldn't rely on the government to take care of my elderly parents or disabled family members either, I can't imagine something more horrifying honestly. People should do it themselves, I know it's a controversial opinion but I think spending 30 billion is just an out-of-control nanny state.

In the past i worked in privately run kids care homes and concil run ones, the private ones are by and large a disgrace, and there is no way in hell the families involved could take on the burden themselves

 

[L4Everton]

That's fair enough. I'm a social conservative that's why, I don't think the government should be in the business of social work, I think there's far too much of that and I wouldn't rely on the government to take care of my elderly parents or disabled family members either, I can't imagine something more horrifying honestly. People should do it themselves, I know it's a controversial opinion but I think spending 30 billion is just an out-of-control nanny state.

Speaking from more than one long term experience. The emotional attachment to a person or persons that are in the clutches of death and having to witness them slowly slip away in utter painful torment moment to moment is not a situation I would wish on anyone. Going through the same thing when the relative is effectively comatose in terms of brain function, like a fully awake vegetable is another of Dante's 7 circles of hell that I wouldn't put my worst nightmare through. Too many children in this so called country are the full time carers to an older relative, and in some heartbreaking circumstances they are mum and dad to their siblings as well. I might be focused on some millionth percentile, and if I am then it has been mine and very few others tough sh!t, the thing is somehow multi murderers and the worst sexual predators get better care and somehow more compassion than the genuine most weak and vulnerable in society. Turning our collective backs on the most unfortunate that are in the most severest of pain is a travesty. That word does not equate to the feeling.

 

[Blue 1]

"For hardworking people"?

What a bloody joke. I'll be about £400 a year worse off if they get in again, if Osborne goes through with today's announcement.

 

[edge]

It would be intresting how many low paid hardworking people will be affected in real terms by these measures.

 

[Coach]

Nope. Correct assessment here:

https://medium.com/@tom_watson/anot...mous-tax-cuts-for-the-super-rich-313f55890158

You do surprise me.

 

[Mrk]

I wish the Tories would stop banging on about a referendum on Europe as if that's going to win them the next election. I'm more concerned with the privatisation of the NHS, my wages remaining static and people not being able to find work. I couldn't care less about Europe and would rather someone I voted in for who should no more than I do makes that decision for me.

Credit to Osborne again today. He now sells freezing benefits by saying they shouldn't go up as much as wages. That'll please the Mail. How's about you actually start putting my wages up then? I don't want 10% like they're getting but just the amount my bills are going up would be nice.

No. Mine first.

 

[Reidy's Bottle Of Grecian]

It would be intresting how many low paid hardworking people will be affected in real terms by these measures.

10 million households that get working/child tax credits they said.

 

[L4Everton]

Factor in the forgotten masses that have been scrabbling for any pittance of help they can reach for and now increase the competition.

 

[red1]

In the past i worked in privately run kids care homes and concil run ones, the private ones are by and large a disgrace, and there is no way in hell the families involved could take on the burden themselves

Alright, you have experience I respect that. The most vulnerable kids, those that literally have nobody wanting to care for them in their EXTENDED family, then yes, fine the government can step in, but it doesn't cost billions of pounds to take care of those in genuine need. What the govt and the incompetent social workers do is ignore the extended family that actually want to care for those kids, they deem relatives who are perfectly capable of taking care of the kids as somehow being unable. They are putting more kids than necessary into the God-forsaken places, no kid wants to be raised by the government, that's the bottom line and the massive bureaucracy of social work is responsible for this mess, they have to cause problems within society to justify their existence, that's the reality and deep down you know that to be true as well.

 

[McBain]

I've worked out whats wrong with Britain.

It's the British. I don't think it's working out for them over there.

 

[Durham Toffee]

I'm feeling increasingly disenfranchised by UK politics to such an extent that I don't actually believe that any party really fits my political outlook and mentality. They often compete with one another for my soul...I'm somewhat liberal with a number of issues - maybe even anarchist with some, but horrifically conservative with others - maybe even fascist with some.

 

[peteblue]

I'm feeling increasingly disenfranchised by UK politics to such an extent that I don't actually believe that any party really fits my political outlook and mentality. They often compete with one another for my soul...I'm somewhat liberal with a number of issues - maybe even anarchist with some, but horrifically conservative with others - maybe even fascist with some.

You could be Welsh.......

 

[L4Everton]

Alright, you have experience I respect that. The most vulnerable kids, those that literally have nobody wanting to care for them in their EXTENDED family, then yes, fine the government can step in, but it doesn't cost billions of pounds to take care of those in genuine need. What the govt and the incompetent social workers do is ignore the extended family that actually want to care for those kids, they deem relatives who are perfectly capable of taking care of the kids as somehow being unable. They are putting more kids than necessary into the God-forsaken places, no kid wants to be raised by the government, that's the bottom line and the massive bureaucracy of social work is responsible for this mess, they have to cause problems within society to justify their existence, that's the reality and deep down you know that to be true as well.

Children that have been unlucky enough to lose both parents, or worse still abandoned by both ought to then be keelhauled onto aunties, uncles or even better grandparents? Who's paying for the new bigger houses and the moving costs or are these unlucky urchins thankful to be sleeping in the dog kennel or under a tree in the yard? Child allowance is being hit, is the difference coming from the pay packets of the uncles and aunties, or better still the pensions of the grandparents? What do we do about those Matthews kids?
Isn't it awful that somehow care is seen as "God-forsaken" but I suppose if you fill any unit with enough bereaved or abused or scared children, the law of the jungle will set in and "God forsaken" will turn out to be the best way it can be described.
There are some very sick and very twisted adults walking around hidden in society today, although it is not a rule and so not an absolute, how many of the sick and twisted serious criminals could you trace back to childhood torment? It isn't a rule, but consider the life long impact serious mental and physical tortures have on a little life that then grows up carrying such. Social workers like all other workers are not miracle workers, when is the chain broken? how much power is too much power? Breaking up the remains of families must be an awful burden to carry, the non stop self questioning "did I get it right or have I really screwed up". Level at politicians being self fulfilling agents of their replacements, but to condemn one of the most emotionally daunting tasks in society (deciding and putting your career on the line) judging society and the care and safety provided in each case, hell - thats some feat. No wonder the turnover of 'staff' is so massive.

 

[red1]

Speaking from more than one long term experience. The emotional attachment to a person or persons that are in the clutches of death and having to witness them slowly slip away in utter painful torment moment to moment is not a situation I would wish on anyone. Going through the same thing when the relative is effectively comatose in terms of brain function, like a fully awake vegetable is another of Dante's 7 circles of hell that I wouldn't put my worst nightmare through. Too many children in this so called country are the full time carers to an older relative, and in some heartbreaking circumstances they are mum and dad to their siblings as well. I might be focused on some millionth percentile, and if I am then it has been mine and very few others tough sh!t, the thing is somehow multi murderers and the worst sexual predators get better care and somehow more compassion than the genuine most weak and vulnerable in society. Turning our collective backs on the most unfortunate that are in the most severest of pain is a travesty. That word does not equate to the feeling.

Thanks for that post, I sympathise with the situation you were in and I'll take your point into account.

My concern however, is reserved for those that think that the government should be responsible for taking care of their elderly parents, their disabled son or disabled daughter etc. If children have sick parents then yes, of course the government should step in but that situation is actually rarer than you think, even if you have gone through it. Firstly, how low must somebody think of their parents to throw them to the government honestly? Would you trust strange carers to care for YOUR disabled child? The funny thing is, people KNOW how incompetent the government is in this regard, that's why you have situations like people smuggling in cameras in care homes and finding that their parents/children's carers have been abusing them, well what did they expect? How can somebody put their own vulnerable family member who cannot defend themselves into that position? The government has no right taking care of human beings in this manner, this is a significant overreach of their powers and it's shameful that we as a society have to rely on the government for this.

 

[Durham Toffee]

You could be Welsh.......

Pass me the daffy, boyo...